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When I open up a can of soda, sometimes it sprays it everywhere.

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How do I prevent this?

Things I have already tired:

  • Tapping the top of the can.

This helped, but there was still fizz.

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4 Answers 4

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In a shaken up soda can, the carbon dioxide bubbles form on the sides of the can, not the top. That is why tapping the top is not very effective. A better method is to hit the sides of the can repeatedly. This will knock down the carbon dioxide bubbles. When you open it, it shouldn't explode. If it does, out your finger in the foam flow. This helps the foam and fizz go away.

If you are patient, another option is to just let the can sit for 2 to 3 minutes. This always works.

Also, don't crack the top fully when opening the can. Slowly open it and let it hiss. Once the hissing stops, there is no chance the soda will fizz.

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  • Rotate and gently "tickle" the can with your fingers makes sure that all of the inner surface got a chance to release the bubbles. And in my experience 2-3 minutes shoud more be like 20-30 minutes.
    – PlasmaHH
    Jan 19, 2015 at 13:49
  • My office has a soda machine that forms bubbles when pouring the drink. The prevents me from filling more than half the bottle at a time.
    – Prajwal
    Mar 14 at 18:34
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I admit I haven't opened a lot of soda cans, but this technique hasn't failed me yet:

  1. Lift the tab very slowly and with a firm grip, and stop when you hear a hissing sound start. (There should not be any visible opening at all.)

  2. Wait for the hiss to stop. (There may be some soda bubbling out of the top but it won't spray or be enough to spill over.)

  3. It's safe. Open the can the rest of the way.

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The best way to go is always wait a few minutes before opening the can. But if you can't wait because you are in a desert about to die from dehydration, then what always had worked for me is to gently hit the bottom of the can against a table, or even with the palm of your hand. For this to work, the can should always be pointing up, and the hit must come straight upwards.

I have used this technique with soda cans and champagne bottles - it works really great with champagne bottles, actually. You can open the bottle without spilling a single drop out of it, really useful when you are indoors and afraid to ruin the carpet =)

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A couple of near misses in the answers above.

The secret is to tap on the bottom of the can with a dense object, like a knife. If the can is badly shaken, tap more than usual. Sometimes at a party where there are no metal knives I have used large bottle openers. As long as the bottle opener has some heft to it, it will work.

You do not need to bang the can. Just repeated sharp, light taps from a metal object. A key will not work because it is not heavy enough.

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  • Can attest to this method, it works extremely well!
    – Darren
    Apr 28, 2015 at 6:29

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